Ex-Lion Mike Reilly adapting as ringleader of Eskimos’ circus

Mike Beamish, Vancouver Sun07.12.2013

Edmonton Eskimos’ Mike Reilly grew to appreciate that being the starting quarterback requires a certain skill set over and above the ability to throw, run and read defences. ‘You have, as a starting quarterback, many more obligations than other players do,’ he said.

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EDMONTON — As the guy whose locker stall is next to the starting quarterback of the Edmonton Eskimos, running back Calvin McCarty bears up under constant indignities throughout the football season.

Ignored, having his equipment stepped on by the media herd, or his view spoiled by backsides jockeying for interview positions, McCarty has grown to accept the magnetic attraction of the star QB, even one who is still in the process of becoming one.

“If we have a bad game, the first guy that gets called out is the quarterback,” McCarty said. “If we have a good game, the first guy to get called out is usually the quarterback. It comes with the territory. I went through it with Ricky Ray, I went through it last year with (Steven) Jyles and I’m going through it now with Mike Reilly. My locker’s been in the same place for seven years. I’ve seen the circus firsthand, and I wait for the circus to clear.

“Being the quarterback of the Edmonton Eskimos — Ray, Jyles, (Jason) Maas — or the guys before them — Damon (Allen), Matt Dunigan or Warren Moon — it’s always been that way. They all had a huge media circus in front of their lockers, too.”

Reilly, when he was the backup to Travis Lulay for three seasons, had the same vantage point as McCarty when he was with the B.C. Lions. Situated next to Lulay’s stall, Reilly grew to appreciate that being the starting quarterback requires a certain skill set over and above the ability to throw, run or read defences.

“You have, as a starting quarterback, many more obligations than other players do,” Reilly said Friday, following a walk-through for Saturday’s game against the Lions at Commonwealth Stadium. “You really have to learn how to manage your time. If you’re not aware of that, if you’re not able to handle that, I think that can negatively affect you on the field. Travis knows how to do that. I admire the way he handles everything with the Lions. And I learned from that.”

Two games into his first Canadian Football League season as an acknowledged starter, Reilly’s reviews have been mixed. He is 1-1, throwing as many touchdown passes as interceptions (three). His passing percentage (54.4) and quarterback rating (71.9) aren’t the kind of stats that keep defences awake at night, but the Eskimos understand that he’s not a fully finished product — yet. He’s going through a process, and it’s encouraging. After the Esks were booed off the field in their home opener, Reilly managed a 30-20 victory last Sunday under adverse conditions against the Tiger-Cats in Guelph, Ont. He threw for two touchdowns and ran — actually, slid — for another on the rain-soaked turf at Alumni Stadium.

“He has added the key element to what we needed, after losing Ricky Ray as our quarterback,” said running back Hugh Charles.

“I played under Ricky for a year here (2011) and I saw the leadership he brought. Mike is young (28) but I put him in the same category because he’s a leader, too. Ricky showed it in a different way. He was a quiet guy who showed his leadership on the field. Mike is more boisterous. He’s intelligent, very personable, very vocal. And he has all the tools to be a successful quarterback.”

Charles said he got a measure of Reilly at halftime of the season-opener against Saskatchewan, June 29, after the quarterback threw an ill-timed pass on the final play of the half that went for a touchdown.

Reilly went around the locker-room, slapping players on their shoulder pads, offering encouragement and raising their spirits, instead of withdrawing into himself.

“It just showed that the guy is full of personality,” Charles said.

“I just think, if you’re the kind of guy who’s going to go out and perform in front of 40,000 people, you have to accept the responsibility for everything as it comes,” Reilly explained.

“That goes with the media duties, too. You need to embrace it.”

Lulay said the off-field obligations were some of the greatest challenges he faced after he took over as the Lions’ starting quarterback, late in the 2010 season.

“You accept what comes from the playing and the pressure,” he said.

“But, off the field, it’s different. There are a lot of people reaching out to you, public relations duties, community events, media. It really is part of the job. Mike’s pretty good that way. He’s got a pretty good head on his shoulders. I’ve spoken to him about it. And he’s learning to adapt. It is different.”

Lulay has traction in Vancouver, much as one of his mentors, Drew Brees, has done in a more profound way by putting down deep roots in New Orleans. Not only did Brees lead the Saints to their first Super Bowl title, but he represents much more to the Crescent City than a highly visible quarterback. He has become an inspiration for the beleaguered city’s renewal.

“Both of the guys I was around in the NFL, Drew Brees and Matt Hasselbeck, were phenomenal, not just by the way they prepared for football, but for the way they deal with people and the media,” Lulay said. “The persona you give off publicly is important. It’s important for your teammates to see that. It’s important for them to continue to see you as a leader.”

And some would say it’s happening in Edmonton for Mike Reilly because of the template Lulay provided him.

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